A Hat's Memory
by Adv4eternity
Summary: Ash has travelled to many places, with each region he traveled to wearing a different hat, but there is a reason his Hoenn hat is his favorite. Written for the Advancers AdvShip Unofficial Fanfic/Fanart/AMV Contest.


The morning sunlight shined brightly through the curtains of a fair-sized bedroom. As the occasional bird Pokémon flew about outside, their silhouettes glimmered against the curtain. Outside, children and Pokémon played about, laughing and screaming as they enjoyed their lives.

The light of the sun woke up a raven-haired trainer in bed. Fluttering his eyes open and adjusting to the light, he yawned aloud and briefly stretched his arms before laying back on his mattress contently. He glanced to his side to see his hat that sat on his bedside table. Studying the black-and-red hat that had a green Pokéball symbol on it, a wave of memories rushed through him, reinvigorating his body and causing him to smile.

The trainer reached his arm out and picked up his cap, clutching it close to his chest. Over the course of his entire Pokémon journey, he had traveled to many regions, and with each region he went to, he would always get a new set of clothes, along with a new cap to begin a new chapter of his life. He had traveled through all these regions with memories of his battles, the landmarks he'd visit, and the people he'd traveled with. Yet, for some reason, his second hat, the one he was holding now, felt extra special to him. No, with this hat, he felt something more than when he had worn the other hats and traveled the globe. The black, red and green hat was special...because it was what he had worn to the Hoenn region.

The trainer placed the hat on his head and smiled. As he did so, all the memories appeared in his mind, as he could vividly remember the journey with his first ever Pokémon, Pikachu, Swellow, his-then Grovyle, Corphish, Torkoal, and Glalie. He could also remember the faces of his traveling companions, Brock, who had been traveling with him for quite some time and remained as his longtime friend, Max, who was the son of the gym leader of Petalburg gym, and...

"May." Ash beamed as he thought of the coordinator.

May was infinitely special to him. She had been his first companion traveling through Hoenn, and as they journeyed together, Ash found that he had become more and more connected with her. He had teached her all he could about Pokémon, coordinating, and battling, and they would always talk to each other about all their problems and thoughts. They were each other's go-to person, and he couldn't help but feel attached to her.

During their journey, they had encountered many villains and near-death situations, and every time, they overcame those problems. However, despite the many times Ash had experienced trouble prior to meeting May, he felt OBLIGATED to come out on top and see her alive and healthy. Maybe it was because he couldn't bear to leave May, and maybe it was because he didn't want her to feel sad. But one thing is for sure: he wanted to see her smile.

When Ash and May had went different paths to pursue their dreams, Ash was heartbroken. Even though he had met many new people along the way, such as Dawn, Iris, Cilan, Clemont, Bonnie, Lana, Kiawe, Lillie, Sophocles, and Mallow, and he even though he had caught up with his childhood friend, Serena, he couldn't help but feel that he was missing something...something very dear and important to him. For many years, this feeling plagued him, and it nearly drove him towards depression.

It wasn't until his mother, Delia, had arranged a massive reunion party for Ash after he had returned from the Alola region. When he greeted his friends as they entered his house, time seemed to stop when he laid eyes on the brunette who sported a green bandana. It was May, and Ash's mood had lifted instantly. During the party, he would find himself only talking to May, who seemed to enjoy talking with him as well, and as they talked, Ash had begun to realize that SHE was his missing piece. He didn't know what this meant at the time, but he knew he didn't want leave May again.

The sounds of shuffling and groaning beside him in bed caught Ash's attention. He looked to his left and smiled at the sight. Now, he couldn't help but reminisce about the past, as his brain clocked back to a very special day.

* * *

 _Ash had been traveling with May again for the past few years. Overtime, their friendship grew stronger and stronger, until they both discovered that they felt romantically attached to one another. Now, after having been separated again for nearly a year, due to Ash and May's journeys of becoming Pokémon master and Top Coordinator, respectfully, Ash had wanted nothing but to see May again. And, being that they were older and mature, he knew he had to initiate the next chapter in his life._

 _During the time spent apart from each other, Ash and May had always sent letters and used the phone to keep up to date with one another. They decided that once they were finished competing in their Pokémon leagues and Grand Festivals, they would meet up, and today was the day. However, Ash intended to make the day extra special._

 _Ash was shaking uncontrollably from nervousness as he felt eager about his plans for the day. With advice given by his friends, he was wearing semi formal clothing, with the exception of his Hoenn hat that he insisted on wearing._

 _"Come on, Ash, this is your big day!" his long time friend, Brock, said, as he patted him on the back to encourage him. "With my advice, everything should go well!"_

 _"Piiika pika!" Pikachu, who was on Ash's shoulder, patted his cheek as encouragement._

 _"Thanks, you guys are the best," Ash said, taking a deep breath as he walked out of his house. "I'll tell you all how it went!"_

 _With that, he summoned his Charizard from his Pokéball, and he faced the fire type with confidence._

 _"Charizard, can you fly me to Petalburg Gym? We gotta pick up May, since it's been nearly a year since I last saw her in person. Today, I want everything to go perfectly." Ash patted Charizard._

 _Normally, Charizard would breath fire on Ash just for the fun of it, but he knew today was a special day for his trainer, so he obliged and lowered himself to let Ash climb on._

 _"Thanks, Charizard!" Ash grinned as he climbed on. Charizard flew off into the air at high speeds and headed straight for their destination. During the whole ride, Ash couldn't help but smile from thinking about what the day would hold for him._

 _Soon enough, they arrived at the entrance of the gym, where May, who was wearing a simple blouse and skirt, was waiting. Instead of sporting her usual bandana, she wore a beautiful flower that was positioned just a little to the side of her head._

 _May's sapphire eyes twinkled with excitement when she saw Ash and Charizard lowering onto the ground. Right when Ash lowered himself off of Charizard's back, she ran towards him and enveloped him in a massive hug, in which Ash happily returned._

 _"Ash! I've missed you so much!" May exclaimed as tears ran down her cheeks._

 _"I've missed you too," Ash said wholeheartedly. "And now, we're back together."_

 _May smiled as she laid her head against Ash's chest. The trainer caressed her head and closed his eyes as he enjoyed the moment. After what seemed like an hour, they separated from their hug. Ash, who was holding May's hand, led her towards Charizard. He assisted her in climbing up the Pokémon's back, then climbed up as well. Because the trainer sat in front, May wrapped her arms around his torso and rested against his back. Blushing from the contact, Ash signaled Charizard to fly up. As they flew, May held tightly onto Ash, and for the remainder of the flight, she and Ash simply enjoyed each other's company._

 _The two of them spent the rest of their day sightseeing, eating at restaurants and markets, and watching a movie. Eventually, it was the moment that Ash had been waiting for. He decided to bring May back to a familiar place near a large, seaside town situated below a range of steep cliffs. As they flew over the town, May's eyes glimmered as she realized they were flying over a familiar looking Contest Hall._

 _"Ash...is this..." May started to ask, but didn't finish her question as she was breath-taken by the sight._

 _"Yeah...it is," Ash replied as Charizard started to lower onto the town's harbor._

 _The sight remained the same. It was now sunset as Ash and May stepped foot onto the ground. They were standing near a picnic table and a swing set, and Charizard figured it was time to give Ash and May some space, so it left. The Pokémon walked a few feet away from the others and flopped onto the ground to rest, while Ash and May were busy recollecting their memories from many years ago._

 _As May was feeling nostalgic about the scenery, Ash was becoming increasingly nervous. He was fiddling his fingers, and he was sweating through his clothes._

 _"It's now or never," Ash said quietly to himself. Taking a deep breath, he walked his way toward May._

 _May noticed that Ash was fidgeting beyond measures, so she gently grasped his arms in worry._

 _"Ash? Is everything alright?" She asked._

 _"Y-y-yea-h," Ash nodded feverishly._

 _May raised an eyebrow._

 _"Well you sure seem to be acting strangely," May pointed out. "Come on, what's up?"_

 _Taking a moment to compose himself, Ash decided it was finally time. He shoved his hands into his pockets out of nervousness, and he looked into her calm, comforting eyes._

 _"M-May, you might be wonderi-wondering why I br-brought you here," Ash said shakily._

 _May nodded in response, knowing that there was something fishy going on._

 _"Well," Ash took another deep breath, this time finding all the confidence he needed in speaking, "you may remember that this was the place where we separated over ten years ago. When you left for the Johto Region, and when I was traveling through Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola, I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something. And during the duration of my travels, I felt so hurt and depressed because I didn't know what I was missing."_

 _May looked at Ash with interest, wanting to hear more._

 _"Well, it wasn't until we reunited in that huge party my mom held, that I knew what, or rather, who I was missing."_

 _"W-who would that be?" May asked with blushing cheeks._

 _"You," Ash smiled. "And, because I've been thinking for a long time..." Ash kneeled down on one knee, revealing a small, delicate box from his pockets, "...will you marry me?" He opened the box to reveal a beautifully constructed silver and sapphire ring._

 _At this point, May was clutching her heart and was crying. Ash was nervous, as he didn't know if she would accept him and his gift. But, all his worries subsided when May closed the distance between them and hugged him._

 _"Yes! Yes, I'd love to!" May cried out onto his shoulder. Her tears fell onto Ash's clothes, but he didn't mind; he felt like the luckiest man on Earth._

 _May broke off the hug and held her hand out as Ash took the ring and slipped it onto her left ring finger. May couldn't help but jump up-and-down and squeal in delight, and she and Ash leaned closer together and kissed._

* * *

Ash glanced back at the woman in bed with him. He brushed some of her brunette hair away from her face, and he couldn't help but smile at how beautiful she was. Leaning closer to her, Ash pecked her on the cheek, causing the woman to stir awake.

Fluttering her eyes open, May saw a cheerful Ash looking at her, and she smiled as she caressed his cheek and kissed him on the lips.

May rested contently on Ash's chest, listening to the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat. Ash wrapped an arm around May, pulling her closer to him. There, they enjoyed the warmth and comforts of one another.

After nearly an hour, the door to their bedroom opened. Ash and May sat up in bed and welcomed the sight of two little children, who jumped onto the mattress, by hugging them. Ash held a young girl with shoulder-length brunette hair in his lap, and May held a smaller boy with raven-black hair in her lap. The four of them sat in silence as they savored the moment.

As the two young adults cradled their children, they turned towards each other and shared another heartwarming kiss, for they knew that, what ever life's challenges were thrown at them, they'd overcome them as one.


End file.
